


Containment

by WishStone



Category: Persona 3, Persona 4, Persona Ultimax
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-05
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:55:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 16,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23501956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WishStone/pseuds/WishStone
Summary: After their last investigation into the newly discovered Shadow Spheres goes bad, leaving Teddy struck will an unknown Shadow disease, Naoto and Kanji find themselves isolated in containment facilities under order of the Kirijo Group.Set roughly three years after the events of Persona 4 - Ultimax; borrowing from the lore of the fighting game.
Relationships: Shirogane Naoto/Tatsumi Kanji
Comments: 104
Kudos: 73





	1. Chapter 1

Naoto passed the door to the toilet as she walked through the small entrance hallway and set down her duffle bag before entering the bright, open living space. The kitchen sat behind a half-wall, allowing the living room and dining table to be right in view. To the far end and the left were large windows. Two doors to the right side were presumably pointing to the bathroom and the bedroom. “Well. This could have been many shades of worse…”

Kanji brushed past her, dropped his own duffle bag to the floor as he walked and flopped into the couch, his back towards her. “This blows, Naoto.”

“Kanji-kun…” The young woman sighed, rubbing a hand through her short cobalt hair. “This is the most effective solution. Kirijo-san was quite clear about that in the video conference.” She turned and walked into the kitchen area, checking the equipment provided and the foodstuffs available. “Nobody knows what that new Shadow Sphere means; and after Teddy got sick, we can only assume we might be ill, too.”

There was no reply from the black-haired man, who remained stoically where he sat.

She looked up with a small frown. It’s not her most cherished solution for all of this, either. They spent their mornings at a Kirijo facility, having provided all kinds of vitals, given all kinds of samples. Naoto found the rice and picked out a sieve to start washing some. Kanji’s mother used to always have the rice cooker running, so she decided it might make the tall man more at ease as well.

Standing by the sink, rinsing out the first batch she would make in this makeshift home, she tried to pick up the conversation again. “It was good to see Aigis-san and Labris-san today.”

There was more silence from him, and she huffed another sigh while she worked on clearing the starch off the rice.

“I don’t get way we didn’t just stay at the hospital.”

Naoto turned off the faucet and lifted her head. _So, his annoyance won’t pass as swiftly. Very well._ “That was mentioned in our briefing, Kanji-kun.”

He twisted where he sat, using his arms over the backrest of the couch to turn himself to face her. “Well, sorry, when I was told I’d have ta shut down the shop short-notice and that I can’t even go home to arrange things with Ma, I was kinda distracted!”

They looked at one another with equal frowns for a moment, before Naoto’s frown melted and she lifted her still-wet hands in an appeasing gesture. “My apologies, Kanji-kun, I-“

“N-No… shit… sorry, Naoto.” He turned and hunched forward. “’s just that ‘m worried,” he mumbled. “I didn’t wanna snap at ya.”

“And I did not wish to mitigate your worries. At least the Shirogane Agency has a few employees who will keep matters afloat for me. I know your shop only has you since you took over.”

Silence stretched on after this, and she turned the faucet back on to resume washing the rice. After she had started the rice cooker, washed and dried her hands, she joined him, sitting on the other side of the couch. They both faced forward, not looking at one another.

“We cannot stay at a hospital, because we do not know what the risks are,” she tried quietly. “We could develop an illness with no outward signs at all. We could be asymptomatic, meaning even if we are sick, we show no signs. The American Mary Mallon is a tragic example of such persons, who never appear ill themselves, but who carry the infection to others.”

“So? Keep us isolated or something,” he muttered.

“We would still be a possible risk to others. And Kirijo-san cannot simply shut down an entire hospital for us. While the Kirijo Group may have vast assets, they are also still running normal businesses not connected to the Shadow activity and we need to be respectful of that.”

He turned to her, frowning again. “They bloody hired us for this mess, they should take responsibility!”

She arched an eyebrow and turned to face him, too. “They _have_. They provided us with an apartment in a high-security apartment complex close to their main science facility, Kanji-kun.”

Kanji swallowed hard and turned his eyes away. “Should have made it two. Or… T-Two bedrooms at least.”

Naoto leaned her head back against the couch and smiled. “Rise-san would tease you so hard for that comment…”

“Shuddup…”

As her smile vanished, she leaned her embows on her knees and folded her hands between her legs. “But, again, she explained this. Seeing we cannot have nursing staff; we need to remain together. We all were grouped up. Kirijo-san herself is going to board with Yamagishi-san. Chie-senpai and Hanamura-senpai are boarding together. Aigis-san is in the same building and we have this floor to ourselves to minimise human interaction. Teddy will remain at the facility near Tokyo with Labris-san.”

“Man. I hope Ted’s okay…”

“So do I.” She looked at her hands. “We should be grateful that none of our other friends were exposed to that Shadow. By the time the effect had worn off and we stopped… well…” She flushed, turning her head away. “Either way. We are boarding with the ones we know on a deeply persona level. Should either of our behaviour become erratic, we will know. And we will be able to report it. This is a sensible solution.”

Kanji didn’t reply. He remained seated, hunched forward a bit, staring into thin air.

The junior Detective turned her head and looked at her old friend. “Kanji-kun?”

“’m jus’ worried.”

Without thinking about it too much, she reached out and patted his broad back. “Your Mother is well taken care of. I had a staff member off the estate pick her up, and another will stay at your home and house-sit. As for your Mother, she will not even be with strangers. She knows Yakushigi’s daughter quite well by now. But until we know if the disease can harm humans, all of us need to stay put.”

When he still didn’t react, she withdrew her hand.

If Naoto was being frank, she had felt uneasy since they started this mission one week ago.

They had not seen one another in a year before Mitsuru Kirijo had called them all to assist in a case of Shadow activity in a localised area of central Japan – and if she had been asked, she would have felt nervous about seeing her old school friends. It had been such a long time that she had even had any kind of contact with the, Because, as common for her, she had put work before family and friends.

It has not been as if she had not been thought of by them. She knew she was on their minds. Invitations had been made for her to visit Inaba, or even come to meetups organised by Rise while she was touring… she just never felt she had the time.

No time to even drop an email, or to call someone? In her mind, it made sense. Her free time was sparse, and she often used it to aggressively pursue her own interests to recharge before work would reclaim her.

“I will be noon soon. I set up some rice; what should we have for lunch?”

Kanji turned to her, a small smile on his face. “I got cooking duty covered, Naoto.” He reached out and patted her knee fondly. “I’m sorry for being a grump. Thanks. For looking out for my Ma. She …she kinda missed you, ya know?” He got up and walked away, leaving her to be flustered by herself. “Always said it was because’a you that I got some manners in high school.”

“It really was not a matter of teaching you manners, Kanji-kun. It was a matter of being a friend.”

She turned and watched him dive into the fridge for a moment, then got up and slowly took in the barren apartment.

There was a large, flat-screen television set. She ran her fingertips against it and found it linked to the TV world as ripples ran across the surface. She wondered how much Work Teddy had done for Kirijo-san since she hired him full-time to work on Shadow Exploration.

There was nothing else here. She had surrendered her own clothing even, never mind her laptop or phone. She had been given a duffle bag with clothing and toiletries by Aigis when they brought her here. But the wall-mounted shelves did not even hold a single book.

“Hey, they bought fresh stuff for us this morning, I think. Lots of fruit and veggies in here, and looks like some tempura, chicken, fish… Say, Naoto, you okay with some poke? I can whip that up quickly. Maybe a tomato salad?”

She went to pick up her own bag, replying in passing, “That sounds fantastic, thank you. I will put my things away in the meantime.”

The young woman took the bag into the bedroom and found it to be a classic tatami-mat room, even if it was on the larger side. “An eight-mat room? Impressive…” She opened the closets and found both space for their clothing, as well as two large futons. A small, relieved sigh escaped her lips before she chuckled at herself. She should not have worried. Rise, sure, she would have tried to stuff them into the same futon, but Kirijo-san was much more proper than their trendy friend.

She heard Kanji work in the kitchen as she left the bedroom, closing the door behind her. “The bedroom is very spacious; we will not fight over who gets to sleep comfortably.”

He paused and gave her a slightly worried look. “Uhm, what’s the b-bed like?”

“We have futons.”

“Ah. AH! Good, no, excellent, super, yeah, futons… awesome.” He attached whatever he was chopping with more vigour and she gave him a curious glance before entering the bathroom area.

Again, the classic design came forward. The bathroom had a small entrance room, which held the sink, a washer and dryer, followed by a fogged-glass door to the actual bath. She put her small bag of toiletries into one of the small bashing bowls stashed outside the bath and left, closing the door behind her.

Kanji was looking at the hot water boiler for tea in confusion. “Ah, Naoto, do you know how this thing works? Mine at home isn’t as fancy, dunno how this one works…”

Smiling, she joined him, and they resumed fixing their lunch together.

Naoto knew this all would need some getting used to, for the both of them. But Kirijo said she expected them to only be staying in here for two weeks. Two weeks with one of her closest friends? No problem.

No problem at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone!
> 
> How are you all doing in your Covid19 holdouts?
> 
> I figured that shared sorrow is only half the sorrow, so I decided to do something a little bit different with this fic. While I do not trust myself to reach the level of focus and concentration to seriously pursue my large fics (Persona, DitF, OR Fate), I did want to give something to my readers. 
> 
> As such, this will be a collaborative work, if you guys would like joining in.  
> This first chapter gives us all a starting point. If you have something you'd like to see happen, a situation to be poked at, or a moment to be explored, mention it in the comments here. I will do my best to write small one-off chapters of what they go through with their own isolation - because if we all have to be good boys and girls and stay at home, I will simply make our kids do the same.


	2. Chapter 2

Naoto woke up, curled up on her side, her body aching in a few places she was unaccustomed to. Her hip and shoulder both felt unusually sore, her limbs felt stiff, and as she shifted, her bed felt quite hard. When she opened her eyes and found herself in a classic futon on a tatami floor, pieces started fitting together.

This was not her room at the estate. Nor was it her small, functional studio closer to the city.

This was the bedroom she had spent last night in after she had some of her friends had been placed into Shadow Containment.

Armed with these facts, her mind explored a bit further. Beside her was the rumpled futon that Kanji must have used; and based on the sounds from outside the bedroom, he was in the kitchen.

The junior Shirogane got up, ruffled her hair, stretched and looked down herself. The Pyjamas had been slightly too large for her, but they covered her well enough. She thanked whoever had created these bags at the Kirijo facilities to not give her some nonsensical feminine camisole and shorts-nonsense.

She poked her head out of the door and gave Kanji a sleepy smile. “Something smells good, Kanji-kun…”

A warm chuckle announced him indeed being in the kitchen. “Mornin’, Naoto. I honestly thought you’d be up first.”

“I do not think I actually am ‘up’ yet. Give me twenty minutes to wash up and have some coffee and we shall discuss my state of wakefulness,” she mumbled slowly while shuffling into the bath. For some reason, as she passed the kitchen, something dropped in the sink and made quite a bit of noise, but the though of washing the sleep from her eyes was a bigger draw than checking on Kanji right then.

* * *

It was indeed roughly twenty minutes later, by the time that Naoto and Kanji sat down with Miso soup, simple fried fish, some pickled vegetables, and even a rolled omelette. There had not been any coffee, but Naoto said she could make do with just strong black tea.

As Kanji helped himself to more rice, the young woman stared unseeing into the living room. “It struck me last night that I won’t have my laptop or my phone for a while… nor anything else, really.”

He settled back down and offered to pour her some more tea, which she declined with a hand over her cup. “You have lots of important working waitin’ for ya then?”

“Well…” She chuckled into her cup and drank, more to hide her fluster than anything else. “I am sure there is some work I could do, but that was less my concern. I was more thinking of not being able to get in touch with the estate, speak to Rise-san or, indeed, easy access to some light entertainment.”

“Ah, about that…” He turned and reached for a sheet of paper on the counter. “This was slipped under our door sometime last night or this morning. Sorry, I totally forgot.”

She reached for the paper and read it.

> Shirogane-san, Tatsumi-san,
> 
> I wished to inform you that I shall be glad to provide for your personal needs in any form when it comes to needs of contact with the outside world. Mitsuru-san has already provided me with a list of material she will require to make the stay more endurable for herself.
> 
> If you require specific foodstuffs, entertainment tools, or smaller electronics. I will not be able to swiftly provide you with personal computers geared to any specific use.
> 
> Simply leave your requests on the whiteboard by the door and I will do my best to assist you
> 
> Yours,
> 
> Aigis

“And here I thought we would find boxes of allotted food in boxes at our doorsteps,” Naoto said with a small smile. “Looks like I can even request some instant coffee for my morning needs. As for cooking, I am not sure how much use I will be with that…”

Kanji waved her off. “I told ya, didn’t I? I got cookin’ covered.” He mused for a few moments. “I can make a shopping list, sure, but I think we’ll actually be good for at least the next four days or so. What I would really like is some crocheting needles and yarn…”

With a smile, the woman picked up some of her _tamagoyaki_. “Now who is bringing his work here?”

“Wha-? No! I mean, for, you know, to stay busy. Or for something to do while the TV is runnin’…”

“I was merely teasing you, Kanji-kun.”

They ate quietly for a while, before Naoto said, “Have you ever played console games? There is an older one called XCom I quite enjoyed for a while. It is … it is akin to a board game. You and the computer take turns against one another, while each of your figures have certain movement ranges and can execute certain special manoeuvres. I found it quite stimulating.”

“Ah, yeah?” Kanji stared blankly for a moment, before looking back at his teammate. “So we should ask for that came then. I could crochet while you play it.”

“Oh, no, I would not wish to bore you.” Naoto picked up her rice bowl, gathered up her salmon skin and added it to the remains of her rice before tilting the bowl up to push the remains into her mouth. “Breakfast was fantastic, Kanji-kun,: she said as a means of changing the topic.

He, however, wouldn’t have it. “Look, I would like to watch you play. I… don’t recall seeing you play games much.”

She smirked a bit, then tilted her head at him. “I remember a few games played with everyone back in Inaba.”

The young tailor waved her off. “That’s not what I mean. I mean, like… you know, seeing you totally loving something. I think I have watched you read for a few hours in the time I know you-“

“You... _watched_ _me read_?”

Each gave the other a startled stare and they fell silent.

“Ah, that-that is.. uh… Here, l-lemme do the dishes!”

“N-No, you cooked, let me at least…”

Both scrambled to pick up the breakfast table and rushed to each be first in the kitchen for the washing up.

* * *

Weathering the odd tension his comment had built, Naoto slunk away to the bedroom, stating the futons needed looking after.

Kanji watched her go before turning to the entrance hall.

He listed a few snacks and spices he would have liked added to the kitchen, gave some precise requests for the needles and yarn he would like, and then added ‘Naoto would like to play XCom, can you help with that?’ as well. He pondered a while, before adding, ‘Maybe two smart phones, so we can stay in touch with people? And can we exchange Line with the others who got locked up, too? Thank you.’

When he turned back, he saw Naoto on the narrow balcony, securing both of their futons with large futon clamps in the sunlight. It would both disinfect the bedding, as well as dry it out to prevent mould. Smart, really. He hadn’t thought about that. He wanted to get up early and fix breakfast for her. Because even if this wasn’t precisely a romantic getaway, well, he could pretend at being house husband for two weeks, right?

Then again, Kanji thought, he had just fled the bed early because he couldn’t sleep, either. Naoto had laid their futons, with a respectable distance between the two, and gone to bed early. By the time he steeled himself and snuck in after her, she was soundly asleep. And her steady breathing kept him up most of the night.

Now he stood a few steps behind her, watching her shake out her futon. “Need a hand there?”

“Mhm? Ah, no, thank you, Kanji-kun. I am just about done here.” She fastened the clamps, then turned to him. “Would you mind if I leave the window open for some fresh air?”

“Na! Na, why would I?” Kanji turned to the couch and flopped himself down. “Thanks for doing the dishes with me.”

She followed and sat on the other end of the couch, tucking her legs up. “My pleasure. Really, if you handle all the cooking, I should handle all the washing up. I wanted to start our laundry earlier, but it seems our clothing from yesterday vanished. “

He gave the young woman a puzzled frown. “Gone? As in…?”

She smirked at the man beside her. “As in, I think Aigis may have entered here and taken it away, perhaps for testing. Kirijo-san told me that Aigis has a knack for entering rooms of sleeping persons without waking them. Apparently it was a bit of an issue while they attended school.”

Kanji whistled low. “Man, that’s gotta be awkward… I hope she doesn’t just randomly walk in on us going forward.”

Naoto shrugged. “Who knows. If it was her, she might simply monitor our sleeping patterns and make sure our health is still monitored at night.”

They looked at one another for a while.

“Now that you mentioned it… maybe we should request they monitor us by use of sensors instead…” She made to rise, but Kanji flung out his hands.

“Ah, stay, let me… what should I write down?” He scrambled up and headed towards the whiteboard by the door.

She turned and raised her voice to follow him. “Health monitoring devices we can wear, please, and health screening devices for the rooms. Aigis should know how to install these. Might want to mention to do this while we are awake.” After a beat, she added, “And add that we would feel better if nobody entered our bedroom unless an emergency is registered?”

“Gotcha!”

Kanji added the requested items, then re-joined her on the couch. “Sooooo…” He gave her a small smile. “Wanna watch some TV?”

Naoto chuckled. “It must have been years since I last watched anything on daytime TV.”

The young man smirked and reached for the remote. “Well, NHK is bound to have something educational running somewhere. And if nothing else… I know _Ultra Feather Man Phoenix_ runs right after school’s out these days.”

The blunette sat up a little biter straighter. “The show certainly gained popularity since Yukari-san joined the cast,” she said, trying hard to sound detached and only partially interested.

He kept his smirk to himself, knowing that she had bought a figurine of the Blue Ranger while she was still in Inaba. “You don’t say,” he simply quipped before starting to surf for something that would interest them both.


	3. Chapter 3

One would have thought that just being in an apartment, especially with access to a gaming console, a TV, and some social media, would not be too bad.

Still, as Naoto shut down the PlayCentral, she felt restless, and, well, bored.

She turned her head and caught Kanji looking at her over his needlework. “Mhm? Did ya beat it already?”

“No,” she replied slowly, “even at a quick pace would mean I need to invest thirty hours or so into the game.” She leaned her arms on her legs and looked at him as he resumed without breaking eye contact. “I guess I feel a bit restless?”

The young man’s eyes flickered to his needle and his fingers quickly counted a few rows before he resumed picking at the yarn. “Bored, maybe?”

The Shirogane heir picked up ‘her’ mobile, the one that Aigis had provided to her during this stay, and looked at the group chat that had been created for the team members who found themselves holed up together-apart. Nobody had said anything since this morning, and, really, without any developments, there wasn’t much to talk about. She checked the data her health monitoring write device had tracked, found everything in order… and checked on Kanji’s. His data, too, was in order.

She put the phone back on the table and pulled her legs up. “It would seem so.” The young woman laid her head against the backrest of the couch and watched Kanji create a blueish-grey oblong with the stiff yarn. “What is it you are working on?”

“Mhm?” He looked up and stilled his hands for a moment, simply locking eyes with her before giving himself a small shake and looking back at his hands. “Ah, uhm… not sure yet?” He held the oblong up and turned it this way and that. “A shark, perhaps?”

Naoto chuckled softly. “You started without a plan?”

Kanji gave a small shrug. “It happens… I will make a basic shape and just move my hands and then when I finish, I look at it and decide what it is going to become.”

“Interesting…” She picked up the throw on the couch between, pulled it closer and spread it over herself before snuggling back down, simply watching him.

Kanji’s eyes flickered between her and his work a few times, before his hands stilled again and he just looked at her. “I’m sorry… I’m not much entertainment, either…”

She made a dismissive sound. “You are not here to entertain me, Kanji-kun. We are together to make sure we are not going to suffer a medical emergency. Outside of that, we are… we…” She trailed off, looking a bit concerned.

“Friends, still? I hope?” Kanji gave a sickly smile, her hesitation stinging just a bit.

Naoto’s face reflected his pain. “If you think we still are, then I will accept it as such. I fully understand that I have not been a good friend to any of you. You and Rise especially reached out frequently. And I still have the _happi_ that your mother made for the summer festival. I… am very sorry I did not join you.”

He lowered his needlework into his lap and reached out to squeeze her shoulder. “Ya dumbass. Of course we’re friends.” His thumb gently rubbed back and forth a few times. “An’ it’s not like I didn’t know why yer not stoppin’ by. Taking the Shirogane Estates over, creating the Shirogane Detective Agency… You did a lotta stuff in the last two years.”

He pulled his hand back and turned his focus back on his crocheting. The young woman smiled as he resumed, her eyes on the small oblong that started to look like a flattened tear now. “Thank you. It is good to know I have not irreversibly damaged our bonds.”

Kanji cast her a glance, rolled his eyes, and resumed working with a smirk.

Standing, Naoto asked, “Would you like some tea as well? I do feel restless, maybe doing something like this will ease me a bit.” He nodded and she stood, placing the throw back down. Over her shoulder, she continued to chat. “I admit, without work, I feel kind of useless. I did inform my staff that I would need to be undercover for a while, so they won’t reach out or try to find me, but this also means I cannot even ask for them to share case work with me.”

“Ah,” he said, “so ya cannot work on anything at all? Sucks.”

“Quite. So, you see, I cannot keep my mind as challenged and entertained as I generally keep it.”

“Mhm… what about that game?”

“Oh, XCom? Well, it is something you have to plan and ponder and lay out strategy for, but…” She chuckled, starting to put together a tablet with tea utensils. “Let me just say that compared to work, it is not at all a challenge.”

Kanji turned where he sat and looked back towards the kitchen. “Hey… let me finish this shape up, and then… let’s just chat for a while. I wanna know about that agency you built. And about the family business… if… if ya’d like ta share a bit.”

Naoto paused, but then nodded as she returned with the tray. “That does sound lovely, Kanji-kun. That should pass as ‘quality time’, and maybe stave off the boredom for a while.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quick one for Stormy, who said "How about them fighting off boredom?", so, bored Noot it is.


	4. Chapter 4

A PlayCentral friend message popped up, just as Naoto sighed from having her entire squadron wiped out.

> THEY ARE RELEASING IT!

The included link pointed to the website of a virtual novel company Naoto was very much familiar with. She closed out the message before she would have to answer any embarrassing questions. She would read up on _My Royal Princess Diaries IV_ later. And possibly send Yosuke-senpai an inquiry if he would attempt to play it with Chie-san present, if it is indeed released soon.

For now she was also much too annoyed with herself. That was her main squadron, and the game was in 'Ironman' mode.

Kanji appeared beside her back from the kitchen and put down a small bowl with _senbei_ crackers. “That was a big sigh. Problem?”

“Not as such,” she replied, reaching for her tea cup. She had decided against ordering coffee. She drank too much of that as it stood, and Kanji’s tea was – unlike her own – always perfect. “I took several risks that were unwise and paid for it. I might now recover from this.”

“Maybe you just need a break, y’know? When I get stuck with somethin’ I work on, doin’ something else helps. Besides,” he added with a smirk as he sat down with her on the couch, “ yer eyes’ll get square soon.”

With a chuckle, she sat her cup back down and leaning back into the couch before curling up and watching him. “I’m sorry. Am I making you feel lonely by looking at the game all morning?”

“W-Well! I mean… I like watchin’ ya play, too…”

“I was kidding, Kanji-kun.” She smiled at him. “Well. Not all joking, if I am being truthful in that I have played all morning now. I should spend some time with you.”

His smile lit up before it turned into something like dread. “Ah, right…. Just… I don’t really have anything ta entertain ya…”

“Untrue. You have started to use two needles now. What is it you are working on?”

Naoto watched him hold her gaze, then reach for the thing he had been working on for two days. In muted grey tones, he unrolled what looked like about half a meter of a thick scarf. He held it out to her and shrugged. “Scarves like this are easy, see? I can just work on this while I watch… watch TV or something. I don’t think about it.”

Your muscle memory must be amazing. The Shark you worked on, were you not able to work on it without thought?”

“Huh… Oh! I turned it into a whale in the end. It was too chubby for a shark. But, yeah finished that the other night.”

Here she sat up on her knees. “What do you mean, finished? Yesterday afternoon it was just an oval!”

Kanji smirked. “You said this morning yourself that I looked like I didn’t sleep much…” With a shrug he reached for his own tea up. “I stayed up. Couldn’t sleep. I … uh, really wanted to finish it.”

The junior detective shook her head slowly, her eyes alight with wonder. “You will never cease to amaze me. To think you went from a basic shape to finished product in such short time…”

He sipped from his cup and huffed, making himself nearly choke on the tea. She scrambled over to pat his back hard and he coughed for a few moments. “Naoto, really! You’re way more amazin’. You can learn anything you want.”

The Shirogane heir sat back on her side of the couch. “Not so. I could never learn to do what you produce without so much as a thought.”

“I bet you could knit your own scarf in no time..” he mumbled.

Cocking an eyebrow at him, she nodded. “Very well. Teach me, Tatsumi-sensei.”

After this, she needed to scramble to quickly slap on his back once more.

* * *

After two hours of stress and frustration, Naoto slowly lowered the few crowded, unproductive rows she had been able to produce. She frowned at her work, then glanced to her side, where Kanji was still moving his needles on his own work, without even paying attention to it.

“Yer doin’ fine, Naoto,” he said for what felt like the millionth’ time this afternoon.

Naoto shook her head with a wry smile. “I never had pegged you for a good liar, Kanji-kun.”

He tried to protest at once, stopped himself, then his own needles stilled. “Well, maybe not _fine_ , but yer doin’ it?”

She placed the needles and yarn on the table before her and stood to stretch out. When she turned back to Kanji, his entire focus seemed to be on counting the rows on his current scarf. “Please do not feel discouraged, Kanji-kun. My talents simply do not lie within this realm. How about I prepare dinner tonight to make up for discouraging you this much today?”

Carefully glancing at her, he gave a small nod. “’m sorry I was no good at teachin’ ya.”

Waving him away, she turned to walk to the kitchen area. “I told you, it is fine, Kanji-kun. I still had-“ She stopped herself, stilling her feet. Smiling at him, she gently said, “Okay, no lies. I did not enjoy myself with this. Which is not your fault,” she resumed, raising her voice over his as she entered behind the counter into the kitchen, “it merely means that this is something I will have to continue admitting you exclusively for, as I have proven to not have the patience or skill.”

There was a loud knock on the door. “I got it!” Kanji called out, getting to his feet.

As she prepared the water for the miso soup, he stalked past her into the hallway and headed towards the door. “Oh?” she heard him say, before he opened the door, following up with “Hiya Aigis-san.”

“Aigis is here?” Naoto put the pot in the burner and leaned her upper body around the corner into the hallway, where, indeed, her android colleague from the Kirijo Group stood in her dark business suit.

“Kanji-san, Naoto-san. You did not request anything today, so I wanted to check in person to make sure you have what you need.”

Stepping into the hallway with a smile, Naoto remarked, “You are so attentive, Aigis-san… Thank you.”

“Not really,” the android replied with her ever-present pleasant facial expression, “I simply set up calendar entries as reminders to check for your basic needs, reviewing the medical data, filtering mail for anything related to your current situation-“

“I see,” Naoto mumbles, closing her eyes with a smile, letting the Kirijo employee ramble on for a few more moments.

Kanji turned to her. “I don’t really think we needed anything,, we have plenty of food… Did you maybe want a book or something?”

“Oh, that reminds me, yes.” She turned to Aigis. “Would it be possible to receive some audio books on the mobile phones we received? I would love to install an app for this.”

“Certainly, please hand me your devices. I will be able to connect you with an account connected to company funding.”

Naoto had dashed away and now returned with both their mobile phones, which they each unlocked for Aigis. “I would happily pay for my own, Aigis-san…”

“You are our guests, Naoto-san. Anything we can provide to make this isolation more bearable, we will.” With one phone in each hand, she quickly navigated to the needed stores, created accounts and returned the phones only moments later. “This should set you up. I have added 20 book credits to both of your accounts. Use them as you like.” She turned to Kanji. “Do you have any more needs? Any entertainment you would enjoy preoccupying yourself with?”

He waved her off. “Na, anything more and I would wanna start workin’ for real. This is fine, it is only for a few weeks after all.”

“I understand. I will check on your friends then. Please do feel free to use the chat application we added to your phones to stay in touch with one another.” She bowed and stepped back, pulling the door shut as she did.

Kanji slid the deadbolts into place, then turned to Naoto. “Audio books, eh? Can’t say I ever had any.”

“Ah, well… I..." She trailed off, then turned to look him in the eyes, as if to preempt any teasing. "I often enjoy an audio book playing when I try to sleep in a hotel or other unknown place. It allows me to fall asleep much more quickly.”

She could feel his questioning gaze turn on her, but she had slipped away and into the kitchen, leaving her phone open and unlocked as it started downloading her first book.

He smirked as he saw the list of downloads. “The complete Sherlock Holmes?” His smile froze and slipped slightly. “M-Maybe you wanna play this for the both’a us tonight? I … I can think of it as a bedtime story, right?”

She looked up at him in surprise, then smirked. “Very well, Kanji-kun. Bedtime shall be at Twenty-one hundred sharp then. Seeing we both may not have gotten enough sleep these last two days.”


	5. Chapter 5

She hadn’t looked at the time when she snuck out of her futon; Naoto guessed it had been around two in the morning. Kanji had his back turned to her as he slept, and she had done her best to steal away quietly. 

That was a whole ago now, and she had sat on the couch, absentmindedly sipping on some left-over old tea since. Sleep hadn’t come last night, and she didn’t want to just toss and turn – and possibly wake her friend.

She drained her cup, making at face at the bitter tang of the cold dregs. The girl stood, keeping the throw blanket over her shoulder. Holding it closed, she stopped by the bedroom and peered inside. He still slept soundly, and Naoto found herself leaning into the door jamb, smiling as she watched him for a few moments.

Naoto was a very private person – being a born-and-bred detective possibly came with that. She disliked having her own privacy invaded and she would not let others into any of her personal spaces easily.

There had been exceptions to this over the years. Like Rise Kujikawa, who ignored all the proverbial Keep Out signs she placed around herself. Or Chie Satonaka, whose deep sense of justice and her drive to protect others resonated so strongly with her. But if she were to share a bedroom with anyone, knowing that it would mean they would see her at her most unguarded; it would have to be someone like them, who could mesh with her and whom she felt at ease with. She knew she would not have done well sleeping beside, say, Yukari Takeba. As much as she liked the celebrity (and she _was_ after all a Phoenix Ranger!), she would not be able to relax.

Kanji Tatsumi seemed perfect, and she was glad she was rooming alongside him. He was a calm presence in an unnerving situation – and his cooking was quite outstanding.

As she closed the door, she heard a soft repeated tapping from the front door. She turned, frowning. Nobody else would be around here would they?

She slunk to the door, checked the camera outside and arched a surprised eyebrow. Cracking open the door, she softly said: “Aigis-san?”

Standing before her in her normal suit, the anti-shadow weapon saluted her with a smile. “Naoto-san. I noticed you were awake. Is there anything you might need? I have traced that your sleep pattern has not yet started this night, and you have been occupying the living room for one hour and nineteen minutes. Your vitals appear to be normal, so I cannot find any physical cause for your discomfort.”

Naoto started shaking her head as Aigis spoke and smiled. “Your capabilities still surprise me. Are you monitoring everyone this closely?”

The apparent woman nodded. “Yes. I have tracked two full sleep cycles for Kanji-san, who is about to enter his third Rapid Eye Movement phase. His physical signs are all normal, however, he has consumed about five hundred calories more than yesterday and his liver is producing more-“

Naoto horridly waved her hands. She knew they had been a bit naughty in the evening with an apple crumble he had made for them, and she did not need to be reminded how much _she_ had indulged. She had two helpings…

“I was merely admiring your abilities, Aigis-san.” She opened the door wider. “Kanji-kun seems to be sleeping, if you would like to come in?”

“I appreciate your offer, however, if there is a problem, I would not wish to saturate myself or my clothing with any problematic agents. Your suggestion to monitor your health via sensors was very forward-looking; and I decided to only enter apartments now if I found a problem.”

Naoto nodded. “Sensible, as expected. Well, I do thank you for checking in on me.”

“If I may, Naoto-san?” The junior Shirogane nodded. “Replace your caffeine consumption past sixteen hundred hours with water, milk, juices or herbal teas. Caffeine can disrupt your sleeping patterns.”

She nodded and sighed. “Yes, I will consider this. However, my alertness is from another source.” She leaned with her back against the wall beside the door. “I feel restless after several days in here. I would love to go outside for a walk, or do some rock climbing, even in a gym. And I worry that my consultation and other projects are not adequately supervised just via phone.” She gave the android a sideways glance. “A laptop is fully out of the question?”

“Fuuka-san was clear on this. Nothing with a screen larger than a phone, not until we know the reach the Shadow Sphere seems to have via that medium.” The friendly tone and the smile were present, even as she delivered a denial to Naoto.

“Figured.” Naoto sighed. “It was worth asking once more.”

“I assure you, the moment this directive changes, I will furnish you with online-capable electronics as you need. For now, however, you will be limited to your phones.” She added with a slightly larger smile, “So, this means no being a workaholic!”

Naoto blinked in surprise. “Where did you pick that up>”

“Mitsuru-san said you would try to work, because you are a workaholic. Further, if the word is indicative of an compulsive obsession for work, such as being an alcoholic, there is a simple ten-step program to-“

With a soft laugh, the blunette shook her head and raised both hands. “I will prove that I can be trusted to not sneak around work prohibition.”

“Excellent! For now, it appears that Kanji-san has woken up, his brainwave activity increased. I will resume my observations, Naoto-san, and wish you a good night. My regards to Kanji-san.”

She pulled the door closed and Naoto turned to look towards the bedroom. Maybe she should just head back and try to sleep.

As she slipped into the darkened room, she had expected Kanji to be sitting up, waiting for her, or encounter him on the way to the bathroom. However, he still laid as he had previously, his back towards her side of the room. _‘Is he… pretending to sleep?’_

She folded the throw blanket and dropped it to the floor in a bundle, then proceeded to creep under her own sheets. She started off laying on her back, looking at the ceiling, then turned to face Kanji – who still had his back to her. “Kanji-kun?’ she whispered gently.

No reaction. Had he fallen asleep this swiftly again?

“Kanji-kun,” she said very gently, “Aigis-san says hello.”

No reaction.

Naoto pondered. If he was awake, she would have a companion in her somewhat anxious state, of course. But if he was tired and trying to fall asleep again, she would be a bother.

_‘But, well if he is sleeping, I could possibly turn on my audiobook without disturbing him…’_

She tried one last time. “She said you had woken up and left me to go back to bed.”

His covers shifted and he turned his head, then shifted around to face her fully. “The heck did she know that?”

Naoto chuckled. “Our bio-monitors. She noticed you were more active.” She snuggled her pillow. “Right before this, however, she said you may have been dreaming…?”

Kanji shuffled his covers up to his neck and snuggled his own. “Mhm, yeah. Was… making somethin’, I think. Felt good to be home, workin’ on stuff.”

She felt a pang at that. He wanted to leave here, too. And hanging out with her couldn’t make up for missing his home, either.

“It must feel nice… being bound to a place.”

“Hmn?”

“I apologise. I mean… I have been away from the estate for so long, and I sometimes miss having put down roots someplace. It is like feeling homesick, but since I do not feel bound to the old house, it is more like being homesick to an ideal.”

“Hmn. I think I get it.” There was a beat of silence. “Y’know, yer always welcome to stop by in Inaba. Between myself, Chie-senpai and Yosuke-senpai, we’d find ya a place to stay, too.”

With a soft chuckle, she said, “Oh, if I have time for a visit, you will trust I will take a room at the Amagi Inn. I have not had some proper downtime for a… a while now. I would love a few days at an _onsen_.”

He leaned up on an elbow. “Take the time then! It’s like yer never take time for yerself.” He started to sound a bit heated and Naoto looked at him, puzzled. Kanji continued, “It’s like… like yer ashamed ta be human sometimes. Jus’ allow yerself ta relax sometime!”

She watched him, watched quietly as he faltered, watched as he snuggled back into the bed, watched as she mumbled an apology.

Then she slipped from her covers and crawled towards him, kneeling beside his futon. The way he crept deeper into his covers; one could think he was afraid of her approach.

She put a hand on his shoulder, or where she thought she would find it under the sheets. “Thank you, Kanji-kun. You care, and you are looking out for me.” She pulled back her hand and smiled at him. “You know that feeling, running Tatsumi-Ya now. You want to succeed, you want to make your family proud, and you want to deliver only the best.”

“Don’t ya have folks workin’ for ya?”

“Well, I do, but I still run the bulk of the work. And I review every request made to my agency. It… is a lot of work.”

They each hung after their own thoughts for a while, before Kanji looked up at her once more. “Say, Noto, why were you up?”

“Ah… I… could not find any rest.”

He shook his head. “Idiot. Go back to bed.” He saw her smile at the mild insult and she returned to her futon a few steps away. “Wanna try your audiobook again?”

“Mhm, maybe. Will it not bother you?”

“Na, man. Last time I fell asleep when the Doctor was meeting his friend at a hotel, or something.”

“Restaurant. They had lunch together,” Naoto said gently. “Very well, let us start the playback at that time.” She unlocked her phone and opened the app for her book. As she navigated to the first volume of the Collected Works of Sherlock Holmes, she said softly, “Thank you, Kanji-kun. I feel calmer now.”

“Yeah, sure… n-no problem, okay? Let me know when ya can’t sleep. I’ll talk with you, or whatever. Right?”

“Right. Goodnight, Kanji-kun.”

She turned on the recording, at the point where Watson prepared to meet his future closest friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The offer stands, readers - if you have something these two have to go through in their own social distancing, just pitch it. :3


	6. Chapter 6

Kanji put a lid on the _nikujaga_ and turned the heat down. The potatoes needed a little more time, but overall, this seemed just about perfect. Picking up a dish towel to dry his hands, he peered at Naoto, who sat at their dining table just on the other side of the kitchen nook. She seemed to ponder over a sheet of paper.

“What’cher up to over there?” he asked with a fond smile.

The blunette lifted her head, her eyes still unfocussed as if in thought. She snapped up a finger, as if to tell him ‘ _Hold that thought_!’; scribbled to her paper, then turned back to him with alert eyes. “Sorry, Kanji-kun?”

“I asked what yer doin’ there.”

“Oh… Just… a random thought collection. Things about this situation I enjoy, and things I do not enjoy.” She looked at her paper, folded it hurriedly and waved off with a hand. “Silly, really. I guess my brain is under stimulated enough at this point, that any kind of mental exercise is longed for.” Putting both of her hands on the paper she leaned back in her chair and huffed.

The tall man joined her at the table and gestured to her list with an open palm. “So, what do ya like?”

Her head resting back in her neck, she flicked her eyes from the ceiling towards him without moving her head. Looking back up, she said softly, “I am not sure I can admit to myself yet that there are pleasurable aspects in this whole scenario.”

“Okay~,” he said, elongating the word patiently, “what’s on the hate list? Maybe we can fix some of these things?”

“I fear I may be behind on work. And I have no idea if Public Section contacted the Estate over any urgent matters, as Kirijo-san will not allow mail forwarding. And I know my team was working on a-“

“Got it,” Kanji chuckles, putting up both hands, “got it, ya miss work, But what else?”

She stopped, blinked, then lowered her gaze to look at him. “You are correct… all of these are, essentially, the same issue.” She gave him a half-smirk. “Well, that solved the mystery of what is on my mind, mhm?”

Kanji gave her a nod. “And after work?”

“I feel stiff all over…” she mumbled slowly. “Grampa has made me do Radio Taiso during college, and I think I should perhaps do those again. My shoulders feel stuff and unpleasant.”

He shifted where he sat, then scratched the back of his head a moment. “D-Do ya, like, need a massage?”

The junior detective missed his fidgeting as she stretched out, raising her hands high over her head. “No, Kanji-kun, but thank you, if that was an offer. I merely need some exercise.”

The tailor smirks, leaning his elbows on the table as he crossed his arms in front of him. “And here I always thought yer hate exercisin’.”

“Well, there is a certain level of truth to that. I am not very fond of exercise for the sake of exercise. However, there are activities that promote physical well-being that have more of a function.”

His smile had frozen, his eyes were glazed over, and Kanji just slowly blinked at her. “…and that means…?”

Naoto gave him a confused look, convinced she had just explained in great detail what she meant. “Climbing, for example. It is a wonderful upper-body strength workout. Or Aikido, for core muscles. I have been known to do the occasional morning run, too.”

“Ah.” He sat up straight again. “Not really something we can do… unless…” He turned his head and looked into the larger open space of the living/dining room. “Could always ask for a treadmill…”

The blunette waved him off. “For what is barely another week? What a waste of resources. No, I will just so some light stretching, maybe a few judo rolls.” Naoto pushed her chair back and stood. “And there is no time like the present!”

“Wa-wait up!” Kanji scrambled to his feet as well. “Hold it! You’ll hurt yourself on this floor. Don’t you… like… shouldn’t we ask Aigis-san at least for a foam mat for you or somethin’?”

The young woman stopped and looked to her slippered feet. “Now that you mention it… this could be prone to injury if I do falls and rolls here. Hm…”

Ruffling his hair, he sighed fondly. “How… how about we do some stretches… like we did in high school?”

Even standing apart, Naoto had to dip her head back to look up at him. “With the height difference we have, several of them, like linking arms behind our backs and stretching one another out would be-“

He waved his hands urgently. “No! no no no! Like… Like gently stretching one another? You know?” He sat himself on the floor, spread his legs wide while sitting and leaned forward, as if he tried to gather up a futon awkwardly. “And then I can come behind ya an’ push?”

Before he could change how he sat, she took position behind him. “Astute. Yes, this will work.” Naoto knelt behind him and put her hands on his shoulders, gently giving him small pushes forward, allowing his body to spring back and forth lightly as she did. “Can you go further than this?”

Kanji grunted below her. “ _Unf_ … I’ve not done anythin’ like this in three years at least… I’ll try…”

She smiled, leaning her body against him, feeling his back under her tummy as she gently pressed further… when she felt a series of pops underneath her, followed by what sounded like a muffled groan from Kanji.

Grasping his shoulders, she steadied him, leaning herself back. “Oh gods, Kanji-kun! Did I inju-“

“Oooooh man… wow… that felt _fantastic_ , Naoto…” He heaved a sigh and chuckled. “I guess I was getting’ kinda a stiff back, not carrying boxes and stuff around the shop, myself.”

He turned his head to grin over his shoulder and stiffened his face. There was a hint of moisture in the eyes of his friend; her expression of mild panic still there. “You… are all right?”

“Y-Yeah, I’m fine, I- ARGH!”

It happened too fast for him to fully realise, but suddenly he was on his back.

Not only on his back. Naoto had somehow thrown him down, moved her legs around his chest and neck, and grabbed his arm, pulling it tightly up her chest. Her. Chest.

Flustered, he tried to pull his arm back, but doing so led to her tucking in her feet, making his shoulder explode in fire. He tried to turn his head, gasping for her, but turning his neck only resulted in her pulling his arm back. “I GIVE!”

Noto relaxed her hold, huffing for breath herself. “You utter moron… when your back cracked, I thought you were injured… laughing at such a thing…” Her legs still coiled around him, and while one hand gripped his wrist tightly, her other hand patted the top of his. “I was worried. It was no laughing matter, Kanji-kun…”

She legs released him after a moment and he let go of his arm, rolling back and on her feet.

“My apologies, Kanji-kun. You… startled me.”

“A flick to the forehead would have worked,” he panted, giving her a lopsided smirk from the floor. “What was that?”

“An… an arm-bar lock. Several martial arts have them.”

“That was kinda cool, y’know? Uhm. Show me again?”

Naoto’s forehead wrinkled up in confusion. “You enjoyed that?”

Kanji chuckled. “Not really, but it was cool. I couldn’t move at all!”

The junior detective arched an eyebrow. “Very well. I will demonstrate a few locks. And we shall ask Aigis-san for matting, so we can do some workout without disturbing the neighbours going forward.”


	7. Chapter 7

Naoto and Kanji stood side by side, reaching up, then bending down, letting their spines stretch out with small springing motions. A dull crack of protect came from the man’s back.

The blunette chuckled, raising her body to reach up again alongside him. “I take it you are still not used to these exercises?”

Kanji had agreed to joining her in these exercises each day after breakfast, both to make her feel like she was contributing to them being stuck a bit, and because it really made sense to work out with her, at least a little bit.

He grumbled, leaning forward again, this time without creaking. “I told you, man, I normally do this stuff while workin’…”

“I know, I know,” she said with a smile, now spinning her upper body left and right with tucked arms, “but I assume you can see the benefit of radio morning exercise now?”

He huffed following the lead of the group of men and women on their TV. “Yeah, yeah, I do. You’ve great ideas, what can I say?”

Both chuckled and finished up their exercises, shaking out their limbs.

As Naoto turned off the TV, Kanji flopped into the couch and sighed deeply. “Feeling relaxed, Kanji-kun?” she asked over her shoulder.

“Na. I mean, yeah, I feel relaxed and stuff, but I want something sweet.”

She huffed and turned, one hand planted on her hip in that all-too familiar stance she took when she was about to lecture someone. “Kanji-kun. You have now lamented for the past four days that you have a sweet craving. I have told you numerous times since then that we can request sweets from Aigis-san if we wish so.”

He closed his eyes and tried to fuse with the couch. “I know, but I don’t know what I want.”

“Chocolate? That is a safe go-to for most people?”

“I dunno.”

“Or an American chocolate candy bar? One of the complex ones, maybe with coconut filling?”

“Maybe…”

Naoto dropped her head, looking at the ground. “I do not feel I have the patience to play twenty questions to assist in your discovery of your sweet tooth…”

Kanji sat up. “I think I wanna bake a cake.”

She brightened. “There we are, inspiration!” Taking a few steps towards him, she poked his arm playfully. “And less moping out of you!” Naoto turned to head towards the breakfast table, picking up her teacup.

Kanji gave her a lopsided smirk over the back of the couch. “Anything you’d like? I won’t eat the cake by myself, you know.”

“Oh…” The woman blinked, sipping from her cooling barley tea. “A simple Castella cake would already be enough for me, you know… I rarely indulge in fanciful desserts.”

He looked somewhat disappointed at that but rose from the couch regardless. “Well, maybe I can fancy it up just a bit. Make it sexy!”

April 27th. Her birthday. For days now he had planned this. Mope for sweets, then have the ‘sudden idea’ that he wanted to make cake, then possibly sneaking in if, hey, maybe YOU would like a certain cake… She had played along without knowing it, and he felt very pleased with himself as he strolled through the living space into the open kitchen area.

She smiled into her cup, draining it. As he entered the kitchen, she leaned on the counter, watching him rummage through cupboards. “A ‘sexy’ cake? How would that look?”

“Dunno,” he said, digging ingredients out, “maybe make the cake, but then put jam on it or somethin’. Like a sandwich.”

“A layer cake? That does sound lovely! Well, whatever it will be, I am sure it will be delicious, Kanji-kun. Ah, before you start-“ she held out her cup, “top me off? I have an alien base to invade!”

Kanji turned and took her cup, filling it with the last of the brewed barley tea, mumbling about needing to make some fresh. As he handed the filled cup back, he gave her a small frown. “I’m sorry yer won’t be able ta talk to yer Gramps.”

There was not even a moment’s hesitation before she waved him off. “It is fine, really. He believes I am undercover somewhere – this has happened before. We will simply celebrate my birthday once I am back at the Estate.”

He hummed, digging the kitchen scales out. “Well, according to the estimates by Aigis-san, it should only be a few more days, so…”

“Indeed. It is fine.” She raised her voice a bit, speaking towards the far wall as she navigated the console’s menu. “You made me pancakes for my birthday breakfast, which is more than I have had in the last two years to acknowledge the date. Thank you for that again.” She fired up the Game Station and browsed the news section for a while. “Two more achievements unlocked. How does Yosuke- _senpai_ have this much time to play?”

“I’m tellin’ ya, if yer not gonna get on that game soon, he’ll still beat it before ya.”

“Not a chance, Kanji-kun. The kind characters and the mature ones always stump him.”

Both chuckled. Kanji started to measure out and prepare the ingredients for the cake, while looking up now and again to see Naoto ponder the strategy of her game.

They chatted lightly on and off while he worked, until he set the prepared cake into the oven, turning on the timer, and sitting on the couch with her. As she resumed playing, he picked up a very chibi-looking crocheted animal and resumed working on it.

“What are you creating today?” Naoto asked, looking at his hands for a while.

Not looking up, Kanji replied, “Oh, finishing that wolf I started… nothing special.”

“Nothing special,” she chuckled, returning to her game, “not something I could craft, that much is certain.” He took a breath, then stopped himself. Naoto held up a finger, smirking. “You were about to refute me, then remembered my failed attempt at a scarf.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he grumbled good-naturedly, “I’ll not try’na make ya do that again.”

Both smiled, letting their respective hobbies absorb them for a while.

In truth, he had worked on a few off these with her in mind, but, like every year he had known her, he also knew he would chicken out and not give her the damn stuffed animal. He had _two_ sets of her persona stuffed into a closet back home, after all, and even a soppy heart or two. Ugh.

The kitchen timer rang out, and Kanji rose to head into the kitchen.

“Strange, this felt like a brief time,” Naoto commented.

“Oh, cake’s not done yet. Makin’ somethin’ else right now.”

She nodded, commenting on her game.

Kanji smiled to himself. It had been years since he last spent her birthday with her. The one single time was in the spring of their third year – he had been too shy to join the party Rise threw in their second year. He had made her a plushy, but never gave it to her.

The next year, she had already been up and about in the world, and aside from a few texts here and there, they had not stayed in touch well.

It was his Ma who would send the birthday cards and letters, saying a letter will always mean more than a text. She was right, sorta. But this year…

This year she was sharing an apartment, even if only for a few short weeks, while he was making her a cake and strawberry compote.

“I am starting to smell the cake now,” she said from the living room area. As Kanji looked up, she stood and stretched, turning to walk towards the counter. “You know, if you wanted to bake me a birthday cake, Kanji-kun, you could have done so without elaborate plotting for the last few days.”

His head shot up and he looked at her in shock. Her mildly amused smirk told him she had seen through him from the start. “Ya… yer knew?”

Naoto nodded gently, leaning on the counter. “Yes. But that makes the gesture no less sweet.” Her smile faded just a bit before she turned her head away. “It… is appreciated. I mean, you celebrating with me.” There was a dusting of red on her cheeks as she looked up. “Thank you, Kanji-kun.”

They held one another’s gaze for a fragile moment, before she turned back, chatting about her game.

‘ _Was that a blush_?’, Kanji wondered. If so, then, hell, this whole thing had already been worth it!

As he prepared the strawberry compote, he hummed to himself, happy that he would be able to show off his cooking skills to his old flame. Didn’t need to make today romantic or anything. But he was kinda glad, for the first time in days, that they had been locked up together.


	8. Chapter 8

"I truly am very sorry, Shirogane-san, Tatsumi-san. Had I estimated the correct amount of resources..." Aegis stood in the hallway, bowing low at the hip, having delivered the bad news. What has supposed to maybe last two weeks… was now expected to take longer.

Naoto seemed in shock as she gently said, "No, please... This is not…" Her voice trailed off.

Kanji put a hand on Naoto’s shoulder and nodded. "Yer not at fault here, okay?"

He felt his friend’s much smaller hand reach up to touch his. "Is there a new time frame, some kind of estimate, for us to plan with?"

Aegis straightened, only to start another bow. "... I have not been briefed on that so far, Shirogane-san..."

"I... I see."

The young tailor looked from the android to Naoto and back again. "So. What I'm hearin' here is... More than a month? … Two?"

The complex machine with the appearance of a young teenaged school girl looked him straight in the eyes. "My understanding of the situation is that ‘closer to two’ is the correct assumption."

"Right." Naoto nodded and sighed gently.

"Shirogane-san, I assure you that we will provide staffing and over stories as needed to explain your disappearance; those plans are underway. Further, your families will be briefed in slightly more detail about your condition with an explanation of possibly a tropical disease which needs close monitoring. I will personally oversee the needed steps."

The young woman nodded once more. "Yes...right."

Sensing that there were some things that could not be arranged with this simple visit, Aegis excused herself, explained she still needed to contact Mitsuru-san and bowed until the door was shut. Kanji slowly closed the door and followed Naoto into the living room area.

On the couch, Naoto slipped into her very common 'thinking' pose. Her left hand lifted so that her index finger rested above her lips, the other fingers below her lips, with her thumb resting along her jaw. Her eyes moved as if she was reading invisible pages right in front of her - and Kanji knew at once that he would not be able to get much of a conversation out of her like this.

He stood and walked to the kitchen. At just past ten it was still early in the day, but he felt like they would both could use a cup of tea.

He started the electric kettle, watched a few cute animal videos, brewed a pot of Oolong tea and placed the pot alongside two cups on a tray, heading the few meters back to the living room space.

He poured his own cup, poured one for Naoto, then settled back into the couch, one leg tucked up easily. When he was comfortable, Kanji simply resumed watching Naoto.

The young woman picked up the teacup without acknowledging her friend, sipping, still lost in thought. Slowly her eyes focused on the cup and she lifted her head suddenly, looking at her roommate. "Kanji-kun! I- I am so sorry. That was incredibly rude of me..." She frowned, pressing her lips together. "Thank you for the tea."

"'s fine and I will forgive ya - if ye're lettin’ me know what you were thinkin'."

Naoto sipped, slowly draining her cup. As Kanji sat up to refill it, she started to slowly speak. "I had not anticipated for this to last... well, this long. I was running calculations. Who is running the estate. Who is running the agency. Some fiscal concerns. Some staffing concerns. Who I could direct to run things a bit more intensely. Yakushiji is most likely to be the one I will need to entrust with estate matters -"

"Wait, ain’t he the old butler or something that worked for your Gramps years ago?"

The blunette smirked. "It's his daughter, but, yes, same family. Their family and ours have been working alongside for many generations now."

"That's kinda badass..."

The Shirogane heir chuckled softy, then continued. "But, yes. It feels like I am falling behind on work, and maybe even lose my edge. Further, if this continues, well, my team might start to investigate. And I am sure Mitsuru-san would not want that."

Kanji leaned back and sipped his tea. "Sounds like you need to talk to her about all'a that. Maybe shoot her an email next?"

Naoto nodded and pulled the laptop closer so it rested on her knees. "Thank you, Kanji-kun." She did not look up at him and she started to write. "I will also ask her to have you participate. Tatsumi Textiles is not as large a brand, but you should get support as well."

Kanji just shrugged. "Ma knows how to reach friends if she needs help, and I assume Mitsuru-san wasn't lyin' when she said she'd get us help. So, I think things are fine for now."

By now, Naoto was deep in her email and Kanji smiled as he watched her working with intense focus.

Nothing she did, really, ever seemed to be anything but high-power stuff. Even just writing a quick email to ask for a meeting that was done quick was done with all her concentration.

For all he cared, that was okay. He liked watching Naoto, always had, and few times were as safe for watching her, then the times she was busily working on something or another. Doing homework at school, cooking by the book before an outing with everyone - or now, as she worked on her laptop or found herself surrounded by case files.

Still. The news from Aegis would possibly change a few things.

Deliberately, Kanji put his teacup down on the coffee table and scooted to one end of the couch. He needed to steel himself for what may be coming next, but he knew it was something that had to be brought up now.

"Hey... Naoto..."

"Mhm?" She didn't look up, typing away on her keyboard.

"Looks like we'll have to stay isolated a while, eh?"

The young woman nodded. "Indeed."

"So... like... with all'a that and stuff..." He took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes a moment. "Uhm, can you talk for a moment?"

As he put his glasses back on, he saw his friend look up at him with slight concern before putting the laptop on the table and turning to face him. Naoto tucked one leg up on the couch and leaned on it. "You have something serious on your mind"

"Uh..." Kanji sighed. "Yeah, I do." Looking away from her, he ruffled his black hair for a moment. "Maybe... I thought that you perhaps would like to contact Chie-senpai? Arrange to hang with her?"

"Even with the extended period of isolation, Kanji-kun, we were asked to not intermingle. It would be foolish to arrange for visits."

"Na, man, I mean... I mean, like, maybe you girls would prefer to live together. Aegis-san said this might take several more weeks or even months." He finally gathered the courage to look up at her.

Naoto leaned on her tucked leg, looking at him with a frown. "Are you saying you would prefer to room with Hanamura-senpai, Kanji-kun?"

"Huh?! No!"

"Then why is it you assume I would choose to become Satonaka-senpai's roommate?"

"Well, you know..." His eyes flitted away, then went back to look at his longtime crush. "Maybe you'd feel more at ease with another girl, y'know?"

The junior Shiogane's frown deepened and she leaned back, studying him silently for a while. When she spoke, her voice was in her carefully low tone."Kanji-kun. Satonaka-senpai and I work together, every few months or so, and we exchange infrequent emails. She and I are by no means close friends." She reached out and placed a light hand on his knee. "You, however, are one of my oldest _friends_. Should we indeed be infected with something, should I find myself ill... I would strongly prefer to find myself in your care over hers." She tilted her head and smiled slightly. "Do you understand?"

"Yer sayin' I'd make a better nursemaid?"

Naoto closed her eyes and smiled fully. "Effectively." She flicked her eyes up and gave him an almost flirty smile. "Whose food would you rather I eat when I am sick: Yours or hers?"

Kanji stiffened where he sat. "Oh, gods, I hadn't even thought about that..." As he looked at her, her expression had morphed into a smirk. "Naoto... that's really mean."

"I realise that," she chuckled.

They both laughed and Naoto leaned forward, balancing on her knee on the couch to get closer. They hugged tightly. "Thank you, Kanji-kun. I assure you, if I had to be locked up with any friend, you are the best solution for me." She leant back and picked up her laptop. "Honestly, this is just fine. I am pleased with this arrangement. And once I figure out how to make my agency work while I work from here, I think I will feel almost at home."

"Yer- ... ya feel at home around me?"

Naoto smiled at him, then looked back at her laptop, not replying verbally.

Kanji looked at her for a few moments, then decided he could relax. She wanted to hang with him, right? So... he might as well get comfortable himself.

He picked up his latest idle knitting project, failing to see her gaze linger on him a moment as he sank his attention into his yarn. He also missed that part of the next half hour, she smiled gently as her eyes rested on him several times.


	9. Chapter 9

Laying on her back, staring at the night-time darkened ceiling, Naoto frowned. She had been frowning half the day now. Since lunch. And she had to admit, it did nothing for her headache, either.

The young Shirogane also noticed that, even though both she and her roommate had sulked into bed over an hour ago, _he_ was still awake as well. His breathing had not changed, and now and again he huffed in an annoyed manner.

Why was _he_ annoyed? What possible reason did he have to be upset? It was his comment that caused all of this. And he didn’t apologise since!

Besides, she most decidedly was not being unreasonable. Requesting that he would be considerate of her need for quiet and not bang around with pots and pans was hardly unreasonable. Besides, there were … other side effects during her normal menstrual circle and he should be… well, he should be respectful!

There was another annoyed huff and Naoto had enough. She flipped herself to her side, her elbow pushed into her pillow. “At least cease your incessant grumbling!”

“Wh-!” Kanji rolled on his stomach and pushed himself up on his hands. The young woman’s eyes widened when she saw the dim light from outside that he wasn’t even wearing his pyjama tops. She took a deep breath to complain, but he was already addressing her. “Look, you’ve a bad day, that’s fine, that happens! But when you snap someone’s head off without any reason, you apologise after!”

“ME? Your incessant banging around in the kitchen-“

“Ya make it sound like I was just making noise for no reason!”

“Surely there is no need to just lift the lid and drop it down over and over, clanging with utensils, rattling dishes-!”

“THAT’S CALLED FIXING US LUNCH, NAOTO!”

After Kanji’s shout, their shared bedroom grew eerily quiet. Across the room from her, Kanji turned and sat up in his futon, ruffling his hair with one hand, as the other patted around the top end to find his glasses.

Naoto pushed herself up to sit as well, his yell having broken through her anger. Kanji hardly every shouted at her, and for him to raise his voice had happened… maybe two dozen times in the many years they knew one another.

“’m sorry, Naoto…”

“No… I… I am sorry, Kanji-kun. You are correct. You were cooking, and not only for your own benefit. I could have simply withdrawn in here if the noise bothered me.”

He seemed to need a moment to gather his wits. “I’ll cook simpler stuff if it bugs ya when I-“

“Truly, there is no need.” Naoto sighed deeply and stretched out her legs inside her futon, facing the door. “I… there was no reason for me to be so irritated.”

There was a rustling from the other side of the room, then a creak, and then Naoto suddenly felt herself pulled into an embrace.

“What are you…?” she started in confused alarm.

“Look, I dunno what is up, if ya just had a bad day, or if ya really… not doing well. An’ I didn’ notice. And I’m yer friend, I shoulda noticed.”

Naoto tried to push him away, struggled, but suddenly she noticed she was sobbing, and she reached around his broad back and hugged him back tightly. “I am … sorry… Kanji… -kun…” she sniffled against his chest. “I… once a month, you see…”

He seemed to process what she was trying to say but didn’t comment. Either he did not catch her hints, or he ignored it, or he misunderstood.

Whichever it was… Naoto knew she was overly emotional because if her cycle and she _knew_ that Kanji wasn’t really at fault. And while she normally would simply apologise and explain her mistake, she felt crushed and so, so sorry right then.

As they hugged, Kanji shifted now and again and finally pulled her around, so her back rested against his, his legs bracketing hers. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and rocked slowly with her, letting her sob.

When she finally relaxed, he let her arms down, then pulled his arms away from her, pushing himself away slowly. Naoto lifted her arm and wiped her cheeks on her sleeves. “I apologise.”

“Na. You’re fine. Uhm. Feelin’ any better?”

She nodded, no trusting her voice.

“Naoto?”

“Yes,” she said quietly.

“Kay. Uhm.” Behind her there was rustling as he messed with his futon. “We didn’t have dinner because of all’a this. Yer hungry?”

“I am fine…” There was silence for some time. Naoto shifted around and looked across the room. Kanji had not returned to his sleeping arrangement. “Are you feeling hungry?”

“Hm? Na.” He seemed to look at her, then at his futon. And then he dragged it closer beside her. “Can I…?”

Naoto thought for a moment. There was no reason really not to, was there? They both fought, they made up. It was natural now to wanting to re-affirm their friendship, wasn’t it? Besides, they few times she stayed over at his place when they were teens and his mother assumed they were both just boys, she had slept even closer than his to him on the guest futon. “Certainly.”

He spread his futon out properly again and climbed under his sheets. “Just… felt like being near ya.”

Naoto snuggled herself under her own sheets, turning to face her friend. She couldn’t see him, only his shadow against the relative light of the room, but he was close. Still… did Kanji not know about … well. _Cycles_?

“Kanji-kun?”

“Mhm?”

“Did you ever date?”

“WH- … _what_?”

“Well, we lost track of one another here and there. Did you end up dating anyone?”

“N-no… I mean… Na. Wh-why’d you ask?”

He sounded so insecure when he stuttered his rely, that Naoto felt bad immediately for prying. “I am wondering if you have experiences being around women in the full reproductive cycle. Or, maybe you noticed mood swings with your mother…?”

“Woha, nope, not gonna have that talk.” He hid lower under his sheets.

She pressed her lips together. “I understand the topic may not be the most pleasant, but if we are going to spend a few months together, you should possibly be aware.”

He groaned but re-emerged from his covers. “Like?”

“Well.” Naoto pondered. “For starters, ones mood and emotional stability can be deeply impacted by the status of female hormones, which go through a natural pattern. Mine… is about twenty-nine days. Normally exactly twenty-nine days. Meaning… in twenty-nine days, you might be able to expect this kind of problem yet again. I get emotional. I suffer a mild migraine. And I am irritable and … cry easily,” she ended quietly.

“Man,” he said after a moment’s pause, “that sounds like a pain. Anything ya can do about that?”

“Not really. Some women face this issue stronger than others. For some, the irritation reflects in anger. I wish mine did. While posing as male, angry outbursts would have been considered more natural for the male persona I created for myself.”

“Huh.” He was quiet as he processed her words. “So, uh… yer sayin’ that I gotta be careful, then?”

Naoto sighed, irritated at herself. “I wish I did not need to. But should I react in a similar manner a month from now, please call me out on my bad behavior. You do not deserve such.”

She heard him click his tongue. “If ya can’t help it, ya can’t help it, Naoto. I won’t be mad, okay? Now I know.”

The young woman adjusted her pillow. “Thank you. And… thank you for being kind about this. I will find a way to make it up to you.” As she tried to lay down again she flinched, groaning softly.

“Wha’s wrong?” Kanji asked, alarm in his voice.

“Nothing… just, a mild headache still.”

He hummed, then got up. “Hold on…”

Naoto pressed the heels of her hand into her eyes, sighing at the headache that had throbbed all evening. She had gotten herself worked up so badly over this minor dispute, that she had quite likely made matters much worse. And now that the stress was loosening her shoulders, her head pounded even harder in protest.

She heard Kanji return, then felt a tug on her wrist. She let him move her hand and felt something small drop into her upturned palm.

“Somethin’ for the headache,” he said. Naoto sat up slowly as he continued, “If ya reach out and find my hand, I’ve some cold tea here, too.”

The woman reached out and her gently waving hand found his arm, moved up alongside it until she found the mug, then gratefully took it from him. “Thank you, Kanji-kun.” Taking the pill into her mouth and drinking it down with some cold barley tea, she sighed softly. She laid back down, placing the cup against the wall above the head area of her futon.

After a moment, her friend turned to tuck on his futon again, and she thought it almost seemed like he pulled it even closer towards her again. But she found a nice position to rest in now; felt more at ease, too. She let her eyes slide shut, still facing Kanji.

“Night, Naoto.”

“Goodnight, Kanji-kun. Sweet dreams.”

“Yeah.”

Tomorrow, she was sure, this would all be forgotten, and they could resume their days normally again. She was certain of it.


	10. Chapter 10

Naoto gently took her teacup in both hands and lifted it to her lips, drinking deeply. Dinner had been a quiet affair and both she and Kanji had eaten with only a few words exchanged here or there, both reading in a magazine each.

Well. Kanji read a magazine. When he gazed up, her reading was a light novel.

She lifted her arm to reach for her tea – and that was when he noticed it. “Huh. Naoto? Lift yer arm for me a sec…”

“Mhm?” She marked the page in her book and lifted her head, looking at him quizzingly. Bending the arm at the elbow, she lifted her hand. “Yes?”

“Ah, higher, please.” He stood and walked around the table’s side, then hunkered down. Gentle fingers reached out and poked her arm. “You have a hole here.”

“Ah, do I? Again?” Naoto put her book down and turned her arm, the other hand turning the sleeve around. Sure enough; right near her elbow was a large part of her sleeve frayed and torn. “This appears to be happening frequently somehow. I have had to discard a number of garments due to this. I wonder how this keeps happening.”

The young tailor inspected the hole and cocked an eyebrow. “Again? This happenin’ a lot then?”

“Oh, yes, I think so. I need to frequently replace shirts, sweaters and sometimes even jackets because of holes torn into the elbow. I seem to have boney arms,” she added with a wry smile.

“Na, too much workin’ at your desk,” Kanji mumbled absent-minded. “See this often with folks who work sittin’ at desks and stuff. I can fix that for ya, if you’d like.” He got up, saw her teacup was almost empty and reached for the pot to refill.

“That would be appreciated, seeing we won’t be able to shop for clothing while we are here… Thank you, kanji-kun. Let me go change.” She stood. “Oh, thank you for breakfast. I am done.”

The young man nodded and started to put their breakfast utensils onto the kitchen counter beside their dinner table. He kept their tea mugs out, topping both off evenly, before he walked around the half-wall into the kitchen.

As he was already washing their dishes, Naoto re-appeared from their shared bedroom with the thin flannel shirt in her hands, sporting a smart blue button-up instead. She draped the shirt over the back of a dining chair and walked to Kanji’s side, picking up a tea towel.

As they worked in comfortable silence, each motion by now one of routine, Kanji snuck glances at Naoto. One of the topics he had not yet brought up, was that some days her chest was, well, fuller than others. Like today.

“Say, uh, Naoto…”

“M-hm?” She took a small plastic rice bowl from him.

“Your, uhm, that is… your upper… uhm. The-the…”

She placed the bowl down and reached for his hand to receive the next one. “My what?”

“Uh, your… chest,” he mumbled. “Like… You, uhm, you don’t seem to always wear, uh…”

The comfortable moment evaporated. Naoto’s back stiffened and she stood taller. Her eyes narrowed as she glanced up at him. “Excuse me?”

Kanji slumped, leaning with his hands braced against the counter. _Well, can’t just back out now._ “It looks like yer not always wearin’ bras. O-or not wearin’ the right fit.” He pinched his eyes shut. “An-An’ there’s, like, things that can happen when yer do that. Ya… You…” His voice turned into rushed mumbles again. “Yergottalookafteryerself…”

Her glares remained fixed on him a moment longer, then she shifted. “I… wear a binder with dress shirts, Kanji-kun.” She pressed her lips together. “I know. Wearing binders all the time isn’t exactly a good thing. But I dislike how blouses feel and how they contour my frame. But male-cut shirts struggle with my… well. I cannot wear bras in these.” She pulled at her collar to point out what she was wearing.

The man threw her a glance, then focused back on the dishes.

Beside him came a small huff. “You worry about my well-being. I understand that.”

“Well, of course I do. I read that of yer bra is too small, not only does it look weird, but it can be a problem, y’know?” He handed her the last dish, turned, and stored away the already dried utensils. “If yer need my help with clothing, you know, just tell me. I’m sure I can fix some stuff.”

When she didn’t reply, he turned and walked away to pick up his larger sewing kit. He returned, picked up her shirt, and headed to the main living room area. Before the low coffee table, he sat down and started to inspect the hole that desk-wear had eaten into Naoto’s shirt.

Now long after, she joined him, placing both of their teacups on the table. “My apologies. If I am to be truthful, I also prefer wearing binders at the office or whenever I need to see officials – say, at a police station. It… it makes me feel like myself. Or, well, at least like the self I wish to be when I am working.”

Kanji nodded, picking out the base thread he would use for the patching work. “Yeah, na, I get it. Sorry if I came off uppity.”

Naoto chuckles softly. “Kanji-kun, you never do.” When he lifted his head to look at her, she sat at the end of the couch. Her legs were tucked up to one side, while she rested her chin on a fist with the elbow on the armrest. “If anything, I should be glad someone is looking out for me, when I fail to do so. Thank you,” she added gently.

Swallowing the sudden lump in his throat, he cleared his throat roughly and bent over his work. “If-If yer got any other shirts, lemme look at ‘em later. It’s easier ta catch these early an’ fix ‘em right away.”

His crush made an affirmative sound, before picking up her novel. “Thank you, you are a great help.”

Kanji nodded and focused on his work, missing the glances she gave him.


	11. Chapter 11

Naoto sat back on her heels and stretched out her lower back slowly, until she heard a somewhat startling but overall satisfying crack. With a pleased huff she sagged and turned her head to look over the barren bedroom.

Caring for tatami was a bit more work intensive, certainly, but the scent of freshly treated reed mats was a very pleasing one – at least to someone like herself or Kanji, who grew up with a certain number of traditional elements. Sure, her own bedroom did not have the traditional flooring, but Shirogane manor had several tatami rooms that were for traditional purposes or to entertain guests.

Further, sleeping over on a futon beside Kanji as a teen had always come with the crisp scent of clean tatami flooring, as the Tatsumi family took care of their home.

The junior Shirogane gathered up the cleaning material back into the assigned bucket and stood, leaving to peer out of the bedroom and into the larger living area.

All furniture had been moved into a huddle alongside the previously dining area, and Kanji walked up and down the living room with a moistened microfiber mop, cleaning the floor evenly.

“Shall I start up some tea, Kanji-kun?”

“Mhm?” The tall man turned, flashing her a smile. “Sure! Ah, but I ain’t done ‘ere. Need ta do the windows and such still…”

“Well,” Naoto said with a smile, “we would drink standing up right now, anyhow, seeing we stacked the furniture.” As she walked into the kitchen to start the electric kettle, she added, “I finished in the bedroom, should I do the bath next?”

“Na, man, did that when you first attacked the tatami. Thanks for doing that, by the way, I always hated taking care of that stuff.”

Naoto blinked and turned to the kitchen clock. It was much later than she had anticipated! “Oh dear… I am so sorry, Kanji-kun, I missed how late it has gotten! I will hurry along… ah… what still needs doing?”

“Hey, now, none’a that. The whole reason I hate doin’ tatami mats is how freakin’ long it takes. Cleaning the bath an’ toilet is done in no time, compared to that.” He turned and walked towards the excit, moving a small pile of dust along with the mop. As he reached the kitchen area he stopped, beaming at her. “Can I ask ya to take over cleaning the _genkan_? I’ll do the windows. ‘M the taller one, after all,” he smirked.

Naoto gave his side a friendly box as she took the handle from him with her other hand. “Sure, sure, keep boasting, Skytree-Tatsumi, one of these days you shall envy my tiny frame!”

“Oof!” Overdramatically he rubbed his ribs. “As if yer bein’ small isn’t something ta envy, seeing how it makes ya hella c-“

Kanji bit off the last bit of that sentence and turned sharply to pick up kitchen paper and window cleaner.

‘ _Cute_ ’, Naoto said to herself in her mind.

It’s funny. Here they are, living together as roommates, in a small apartment, nearly like boyfriend and girlfriend, but anytime that he comes close to paying her a compliment, he stops himself. It must be a strange juxtaposition for him as well.

It did feel strange at times, Naoto mused as she pushed the mop into the _genkan_ , leaning the final area in their little apartment. Living with Kanji sometimes felt like a continuation of their teenage years – when she would visit his home after school. The way he would kindly server tea and snacks was no different than it had been a few years ago. When they cooked and ate together, it always felt like his mother would round the corner any moment to add a dish of pickles to their meal.

Maybe he felt in a similar manner when they sat together in the living room, watching her work. Was it similar to when they spend time at the manor together, studying for exams or finishing homework so they could rejoin their friends in Inaba without that task looming over them?

Naoto detached the microfiber cloth to add it to the laundry and swept up the dust and debris in the entry, before returning their shoes and getting up.

Just as she returned from putting the cleaning supplies back into the nook of their laundry room, a sharp _snick_ announced that the electric kettle had turned itself off.

The young woman strolled into the kitchen area and prepared their tea. She cast glances at Kanji while he stretched himself up to clean the large living room window top to bottom. A smile played over her lips as she observed him fighting a smudge for a while, only to realise it was on the outside of the window.

“The tea is just about ready, Kanji-kun. Would you like a _senbei_?”

“Na, we had lunch pretty late. Man, it smells good in here, eh?”

She answered his broad smile in kind, then lifted his cup at him to beckon him over.

Kanji placed the window cleaner and kitchen paper on the counter and took his own mug. The raised their cups in a silent toast, sipped, and sighed contently. Both turned and looked at the clean, but somewhat desolate living room.

“Well. ‘s clean now…” Kanji chuckled and turned to her. “Sorry I dragged my feet for so long.”

“Not to worry, Kanji-kun,” she replied with a smile into her own mug, “I had not felt the motivation to clean much myself. But it is nice that we both managed to work up the energy to tackle this together.” She sipped, then added, “In a way, this felt very comforting. Very domestic.”

“D-Domestic?”

She nodded. “Like something that two people living together simply do, you see. It is nice to know we can do this sort of thing in harmony.”

“Yeah…”

She chanced a glance to her side and saw him furiously avoiding eye contact. “Do you feel differently?”

“Hm? No! No, jus’… yeah, like ya said. ‘s nice. Li-Living with ya like this.”

Naoto nodded, pleased that the feeling of comfort was a mutual one.

The next, longer silence was broken when Kanji set his half-finished teacup down and strode into the living room. “I better put the furniture back, so we can hang!”

“Very well, Kanji-kun. Let me take care of the laundry. We have a few cleaning cloths that need to be washed as well.”

As Naoto entered the laundry room that also served as dressing room in front of the bath, she heard Kanji push and pull the sofa back into place outside. While she carefully put their coloured clothing into the washer, she found herself stop as one of the items turned out to be some of Kanji’s purple tank tops.

She handled it for a moment, smiling at the faded skull print on it. A few weeks ago, it would have been unthinkable to handle such intimate clothing of her old friend. But, if she was being honest, even washing their underwear together was no longer giving either of them pause. Or, well, she assumed either of them. She certainly go over the first shyness of handling his boxer briefs and hanging them to dry. She had a feeling Kanji might have by now, too. It had been over a month now, after all.

Starting up the washer, she returned to seeing Kanji carrying the low coffee table back into the living area.

She busied herself by pulling the dining table back into place and lifting the chairs down from it.

“Tonight…”

Naoto looked up and turned to look back at Kanji. “Yes?”

“Ah… so… tonight… wanna watch a movie together?”

She tilted her head. “Certainly. Did you have something in mind?”

“Ah, well…” He scratched the back of his head. “There’s this movie I read was really good. ‘s called ‘Orange’. It’s… ah, about friends at high school or something?”

Naoto nodded. “I am unfamiliar with it, but we can check if we can rent it online tonight then!”


End file.
